We Still Grieve… But Not Without Hope!
Update: There will be a Memorial Service held here at Camp Forest Springs on Saturday, August 10th, at 3:00pm. Please send us an email if you plan to attend.
As we continue to mourn the homegoing of a dearly loved summer staff member, Jose Forbes, we do so with the clear understanding that we have the assurance that we will see him again! The Christian’s hope is indeed marvelous!
Last night, with no campers in camp, our staff shared a wonderful time of worship on the beach at camp. As the sun set over the glassy water of James Lake and with a campfire sending sparks upwards to a perfectly cloudless sky, we not only sang praises to the Lord, but for more than an hour and a half, we shared hilarious stories and favorite memories of a 24 year old young man who lived life to the fullest… to the glory of God! Only heaven will be able to recount the full impact of Jose’s life on the lives of hundreds of young people.
Jose with some of his SuperHIGH campers - July 2013
In my last blog entry, I mentioned that Jose, after just 5 days, succumbed to a fungal infection in his lungs (among other infections). Now, however, with the blessing of his family, I would also like to share that a major reason why his body was not able to fight off these infections was because Jose carried with him a secret that few people knew… he was HIV positive. His immune system was at a huge disadvantage in fighting off any infection. But people should also know that Jose was HIV positive through no choices of his own… he was born with it. Jose was adopted by the Forbes family when he was 2 years old and was told that he likely wouldn’t live past 12 years old… they were blessed with his life for 22 more years!
There will be a memorial service for Jose Forbes at Camp Forest Springs on Saturday, August 10 at 3:00 p.m. Weather permitting, we will hold the service outdoors, so feel free to bring a blanket or lawn chair for the service. A light lunch will be served after the service.
If you are planning to attend, it would greatly help both the family and Camp Forest Springs if you could send an e-mail (click here) to let us know how many will be attending. For questions please call Camp at 715.427.5241.
